The present invention relates to a liquid ring pump utilizing a liquid separator integrated in an abutting pressure chamber housing.
The prior art discloses a related liquid ring pump utilizing separation structure (DE-OS 34 21 866, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,105). In this prior art device, a deflector forming part of the liquid separator is designed as a baffle facing the discharge port against which the gas-liquid mixture issuing from the discharge port strikes. Added wall sections disposed above and behind the deflector bring about additional sharp deflections of the flow mixture. During these deflections, the heavier liquid particles are separated from the gas particles, since, due to their greater mass inertia, the liquid particles rebound off the deflector and off the added wall sections. The liquid particles then flow downwards into two chambers formed by the deflector in the abutting pressure chamber housing. This repeated deflection of the flow mixture requires that the wall sections be disposed appropriately. From an engineering standpoint, this entails a pressure chamber housing form which is difficult to produce. In addition, such sharp deflections of the flow also cause considerable flow losses and necessitate a device of considerable overall length.
Hence there remains a need for a liquid separator for a liquid ring pump that will provide enhanced liquid separation with fewer flow losses, by means of an adjacent pressure chamber housing which is simpler to manufacture.